Heatee or fumeb



Patented Sept. 27, 1927.

UNITED STATES'.

fnVING E. Asxn, or-DULUTH, MInnEso'rA.

HEATER on rui/IER.

Application filed February 3, 19.26. VSerial No. 85,757.

My invention relatesto heaters and funiers and has for one of itsobjects the proV vision of means for vaporizing fuming hydrocarbonrfuel in the intake manifold of an internal explosion engine. `With this and other objects in view, it consists of the structures, combinations and arrangements of parts hereinafter described and claimed.

In the drawings, Fig. l, is a side elevation of a heating cell forming part of my invention.` Fig. 2, is a top plan viewlofthe same. Fig. 3, is a top plan view of a cover or hood for said cell. Fig. 4, is a side elevation of said cover. Fig. 5, is a side elevaA tion of a pad or wick. Fig 6, `is a central vertical transverse section of said cover. Fig. 7, `is a central vertical transverse section ofsaid cell. Fig. 8, isa central transverse section of said cell, showing in section said wick'wrapped longitudinally around thesame. Fig. 9, is a central vertical trans verse section of said cell, wickand cover; Fig. 10, is a'- side elevation, partly broken away, of an exhaust manifold and of an intake manifold, showing one'of said cells., wicks and `covers in longitudinal section, mounted upon'said exhaust manifold and extending into said intake manifold. Fig.

ll, isa central vertical longitudinalstructure ofl my `invention embodying electric heating means instead of exhaustgas heat ing means.

Y I am aware that attempts have `heretofore been made to heat and vaporize incoming hydrocarbon fuel by means of hot plate,or

common wall structures deriving their heat from the exhaust; but in these theexhaust cannot be run hotV enough during idling speeds to be effective Ain vaporizing the excessive amount of raw gasoline which enters the' intake manifoldatfsuch times.

is not only wastedwhilej driving slowly, or while the engine is' idling, but'part of it seeps into the crank caseof the engine and-v operates to dilute the lubricating oil, caus-y ing waste of lubricating oil and frequently damage to the engine. In various attempts There` fore a considerable'portion ofthe gasoline' as to liquid fuel, sazid'structures do not giveLV adequate service. i l

In the drawings, l is van exhaust manifold of any suitable form or structure, andi 2, a fuel intake manifold of any suitable form` or structure, having a depending reservoir or catch basin 2a `formed therein adapted to be closed at the bottonrashereinafter described. VAn aperture la is formed inthe upper wall of said exhaustl manifold: vbelow said catch basin,extending over which aperture andl upwardly into said Vcatch basin isa Vheating cell 3, preferably of copper, `which cell is open 'atf'its-b'ottom and is closed on its top iand sides vand is adapted `to receive hot -exhaust gases through said aperture la. l'Said cell has formed thereon a series of vertically di-` rected grooves 'Stand ribsSb, and a horizontally disposed, outwardly directedlnannular-iiange'c at its lower edge. i'

'I Extending around the outer side of said cell vis an absorbent` element or wick l, of any suitable refractory absorbent substance or structure, preferably asbestos-'felt or asbestos-fabric, Y'

.-Extending over said celland wick is a covert), open at the bottom and partly open at the top, as vat 5?, saidftop opening being preferably in the form ofan elongated slot. If'. desired, aI-screen of any rsuitable Vstruck ture (not shown) 4may' be formed in or extendedacrossfsai'd slot. vSaid cover is pro-y vdedat its bottom edge with an outwardly directed'annul'ar flange S12-and any suitable number of intake ports 5c are formed in the side walls of saidcover. A

' A gasket 6 of any suitablem'aterial, pref-` erably asbestos, is preferably interposed be'- tween the flange of said cell and the flange of said Cover. A similar gasket Tis preferably interposed between the flange of said cell and the adjacent topjwall or boss of said ex# haust manifold, and a similar-gasket 8 is preferably interposed between the flange of said cover and an adjacent horizontally dis" lofi walls thereof and preferably extends slightly Y above said side walls, and *alsov that the upper edge of said wick and said cell preferably extend slightly above the side walls of said basin, so that the upper ends of said cover,

lillv ther observed that said cover with its flange and the interposed gasket, if any, operate f to close the lower end of said basin, and said cover further serves to prevent portions of said Wick from being drawn into the engine cylinders. In the structure shown inrFig. 1l the communication between the exhaust manifold and the heatii'ig cell is closed or omitted and the bottom of said cell 8, is closed in any snitable manner, as by an insulation plate 7, through which extends a binding post 9b to which is electrically secured one lead 9? from an electric resistance coil 9 positioned Within said cell 3, Which coil is grounded in any suitable manner, as by attachment to the Walls of said cell. A. lead l0 extends from said l post to one side of a battery l1, and said cell or ground is also electrically connected in any suitable manner with the opposite side of said battery. A vswitch l2 is preferably interposed in the circuit of said battery and coil.

In operation, part of the hot exhaust gases flow up into' said cell and heat the saine to a high temperature: The heavy Wet or liquid portion, ofthe fuel drawn 'into the intake manifold from the carbureter by the action of the engine pistons, flows along the bottom of the intake manifold and drops into said catch basin from which it iows through said ports 4b to and through said Wick by whichv itis carried into contact with the heated sides of said cell, and successive films of said 'fuel are thereby fumed, the fumes passing up through the said grooves 3a and out of said slot or opening in the top of said cover. Thus the fumes are protected from an overhead bath `or iiood of liquid fuel Within the cover and from danger of reconden'sation thereby. It Will be observed that the heating cell is protected from cold currents of air and that a high temperature of said cell can thereforeI be maintained; the amount of liquid fuel which Would otherwise find its Way into `the 'crank case at lovv speeds is bythe use of lsaid invention greatly 'reL duced, and the mileage per gallon of fuel used is increased.

y I do not however desire to be understood as claiming said invent-ion for use only in connection Witli automobile manifolds, or only With the special type of manifolds shoWn, since it appears to be available or adaptable for use for other purposes for which the vaporization or fuming of fuels or other liquids is necessary or desirable.

Y Vhqat I claim is:

l. The combination of a cell open atone side and closed on five sides, of an absorbent elementsurround-ing said cell on four of the clos-ed sides, and a hood for said cell and element, said hoodv being 'open on one of sides fonthe extension of said cell into said hood, said hood having an intake port formed in one of its sides for admitting liquid to said absorbent element, said hood having an exhaust port formed therein 2. A heating cell comprising a shell open on one side and closed on five sides, said cell having a plurality of ribs and grooves formed in the outer face of one of its Walls, and an absorbent element applied to the outer faces of said ribs and extending ac'osssaid grooves.

si. The combination of a conduit having a catch basin formed in its floor, said basin having an open bottom, a hood adapted to close the bottomV of said basin and to extend up into said basin, said hood being spaced from the side Walls of said basin, said hood being open at the bottom., a cell. adapted to extend up into said hood and to close the bottom thereof, said cell being spaced from' the side Walls and top of said hood, said cell being open atV its bottom, an absorbent element Vinterposed between one of the sides of said cell and the opposing side of said hood, said lhood Yhaving anY intake` port formed in on-e of its side Walls and an ex'- haustY port ,formed in its top.

5. The combination of a conduit having an aperture formed in its top, of a cell mounted on said conduit and extending over said aperture, said cell being open at its bottom and closed at its top and sides, the cham ber 4Within said cell being` adapted to communicate with said 'conduit through said aperture, a hood extendingover said cell and spaced from the top and sides thereof, and an absorbent element interposed in the space between saidvoell Y'and hood,- s-aid hood having intake and exhaust ports formed therein.

6k. The combination of a conduit having a catch'basin formed in its floor, said basin having' a conavoj-convex bottom extending upwardly above the outer side Walls of said basin, said `concavo-conveir bottom being adapted to form a hood for a heating cell, a heating cell comprising a concavo-convex shell extending upward into said hood and spaced from the side Walls and top of said hood, and an absorbent element interposed between the sid-e of said cell and the opposing face of said hood, said hood having intake and exhaust ports extendingvthrough its Wall-s.

7 The combination of a fuel conduit having a catch basin formed therein, a conduit for hot liuids, an absorbent element position'ed Within said catch basin, and means for transmitting heat from said hot fluid conduit to said absorbent el-ement.

8. The combination of a fluid conduit havion ing' a catch basin formed therein, an absorbent element adapted to receive fiuid from said catch basin, a second fluid conduit, and heat transmitting means common to both of said conduits interposed between said second conduit and said absorbent element whereby said element is separated from' saidV second conduit.

9. The combination of a fluid conduit, an absorbent element positioned therein and adapted to absorb fluid therefrom, a sed'- ond fluid conduit, and heat transmitting means common to both of said conduits interposed between said second conduit and said absorbent element whereby said ele` ment is separated from said second conduit, said transmitting means being in contact with said absorbent element.

10. The combination of a iuid conduit provided with Va catch basin intermediate of its ends, an absorbent elem-ent positioned in said basin and extending to the upperk end of said basin, a second Huid conduit,`

heat transmitting means common to both vof said conduits interposed between said second conduit and said absorbent element and extending to the top of said absorbent element in contact therewith, whereby said absorbent element is separated from' said second conduit, said transmitting means being ribbed and grooved upon those portions of its sides which contact with said absorbent elem-ent.

11. The combination of a heatingcell einA y bodying a chamber with a radiation wall, means for heating the interior of said cham- -ber and wall, a hood extending over said my signature.

IRVING E. ASKE.A p 

